Former Detroit Lions Lomas Brown and Eddie Murray use Flint's Atwood Stadium to share their football expertise with young athletes

View full sizeRyan Garza | The Flint JournalAtwood Stadium manager Ron Rolak (center) shares a laugh with former Detroit Lions Lomas Brown (right) and Eddie Murray (left) in between a set of football clinics at Atwood Stadium in Flint on Friday put on by Brown and Murray. Brown hosted the "Big Man Football Clinic", geared toward football linemen and Murray hosted the "The 3-point Kicking Camp."

FLINT — Two Super Bowl champions entered Atwood Stadium on Friday.

Former Detroit Lions Lomas Brown and Eddie Murray held their first set of football camps in Flint for kids ages 12-17 on the venue’s AstroTurf.

Brown, an ex-offensive lineman, hosted the “Big Man Football Clinic” and Murray, a longtime kicker, ran the “3-point Kicking Camp.”

Both men were happy to help develop the area’s up-and-coming athletes.

“Flint has some of the best talent in the state of Michigan and you can look at it from a football standpoint and a basketball standpoint,” said Brown, a seven-time NFL Pro Bowl selection. “So, if somebody can come in here and nurture all of the resources here, then this place could be a wonderful place to turn out talent.”

Murray showed off the diamond-embedded Super Bowl championship ring that he won with the Dallas Cowboys in 1993, but Brown left his jewelry behind. Brown won a title with the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2003.

“I wear it a lot for business,” said Murray, who is ranked No. 14 on the NFL’s all-time leading scorers list.

View full sizeRyan Garza | The Flint JournalOn June 23-25, Former Detroit Lions Lomas Brown and Eddie Murray will host a set of football clinics in Atwood Stadium. Brown will host the "Big Man Football Clinic" - geared toward football linemen - and Murray will anchor "The 3-point Kicking Camp."

Murray’s business on this occasion included teaching the kids with the correct fundamentals of kicking. Brown schooled the players on the intricacies of playing on the offensive and defensive lines.

All of the kids participating were grateful to soak up the knowledge.

“It feels good to learn some stuff that I haven’t learned before and to come out here and have a good time,” 17-year-old Izell Thomas said.

The attendees weren’t the only people who took a lesson in Football 101.

“Having coached and focused on defense and running backs and wide receivers, I didn’t spend a lot of time with linemen,” Atwood’s Stadium Director Ron Rolak said. “I was watching Lomas and the things he was getting across to the kids really impressed me.”

Murray approached Brown to run the camps after a meeting at a function in Ford Field with Rolak.

Brown and Murray have continued to live in Michigan following retirement from the NFL, and live roughly two miles from each other in the Waterford area.

Their relationship developed while playing in the Motor City.

Detroit drafted Murray in the seventh round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played 12 seasons with the Lions and was named to the 75th anniversary all-time team.

View full sizeRyan Garza | The Flint JournalOn June 23-25, Former Detroit Lions Lomas Brown and Eddie Murray will host a set of football clinics in Atwood Stadium. Brown will host the "Big Man Football Clinic" - geared toward football linemen - and Murray will anchor "The 3-point Kicking Camp."

Brown played 10 years in Motown after starring at the University of Florida.

Murray and Brown both wished they had the chance to play on a field like Atwood during their prep careers.

“I didn’t have a stadium like this in high school,” Murray laughed.

Murray grew up in Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.

The closest thing his city had to Atwood was Royal Athletic Park, which he said can seat about 600 people comfortably.

Brown, meanwhile, suited up for the Miami Springs Senior High Golden Hawks in Florida as a prepster.

His “Atwood” was when his school got the opportunity to play their playoff games in the Miami Orange Bowl — the old home of the Miami Dolphins.

Although the duo have settled into their everyday lives off the field, they love the direction that their former squad is moving.

“It was a great finish that they had last year, so it shows a lot of potential that they can build on,” said Murray, who sported a black Lions hat. “They did a great job in the draft, so they definitely are putting together quite a interesting defense. It’s only up for them.”

“I hope they can bring back that tradition and it will be good to see the Lions back on top,” Brown said. “I think we can be one of the top teams in the league. We’re ready to take the next step.”

Murray and Brown both plan to run these camps in Flint for many more years.